Inoculation feeders



Nov. 18, 1969 E. w. HALE InoouLATIoN FEEnERs Filed .Ap-r11 27, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 4'18, 1969 Filed April 27, 1967 E. w. HALE 3,479,093

INOCULATION FEEDERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4.

mvsmolz Everett W. Hole Nov. 18, '1969 E. W. HALE INcULAT-ION .F-EEDERS 3 sheets-'sheet s Filed April 27. 1967 mvENroR Everett W. Hale United States Patent O 3,479,093 INOCULATION FEEDERS Everett W. Hale, Falconer, N.Y., assignor to Blackstone Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 634,171 Int. Cl. B65g 53/12 U.S. Cl. 302--40 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An inoculation feeder for feeding solid nely divided materials into a molten metal bath including a storage receptacle for ne particle materials, a pressure batch injection receptacle connected to the storage receptacle and receiving particles from said storage, a rst valve means between the two receptacles controlled by a timed valve controller to meter a preselected quantity into the batch injector, a second valve means at the outlet of the batch ejector connecting to an injection line, a source of fluid pressure connected to and acting to regulate the pressure of the two receptacles and a third valve between the source of fluid pressure and the injector line whereby material entering the injector line is carried by a moving stream of pressure fluid into the molten metal bath.

This invention relates to inoculation feeders and particularly to feeding apparatus for delivering solid finely-divided materials into a molten metal bath. The practice of feeding solid finely-divided materials into a molten metal bath has been followed for many years. For example, finely-divided inoculants such as magnesium, rare earth metals, calcium carbide, ferrosilicon and the like have been fed through a supply line and feeder pipe beneath the surface of a molten metal bath by means of gas pressure. This practice has suffered from several diffculties among which are lack of control over feeding rate, line stoppages and inability to provide truly automatic action.

In the present invention, I provide a feeder of solid fine particles which eliminates line stoppages, provides positive control over feeding rate, permits alternate or successive feeding of different particles and may be fully automated.

it Preferably, I provide a regulated pressure storage receptacle for ne particles, a pressure batch injection receptacle connected to said storage receptacle and receiving fine particles from said storage, first valve means in the connection between said receptacles, second valve means at the outlet of said batch injector, a connection from said second valve means to an injection nozzle adapted to be submerged in a molten metal bath, a supply of pressure fluid connected to each of said receptacles and said connections to the injection nozzle, third valve means between said source of fluid pressure and said injection nozzle, and valve operator means selectively opening and closing each of said valve means in a preselected sequence. Prefer-ably the first and second valve operator means are electric motors with timer controls and the third valve operator is a solenoid. Pressure regulator means are preferably provided in the connections from the source of pressure fluid to the receptacles and nozzle. A flow meter is preferably used in the connections between the source of pressure fluid and the receptacles and nozzle.

In the foregoing general description of my invention, I have outlined certain objects, purposes and advantages of my invention. Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

3,479,093 Patented Nov. 18, 1969 ICC FIGURE l is a front elevation of the control panel of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus showing the receptacles and nozzle;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the control panel of FIGURE 1 with the control panel face removed;

FIGURE 4 is a schematic wiring diagram of the controls for the apparatus of FIGURES l and 2; and

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of a double stor age and batch receptacle arrangement.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated a frame 1t)V carrying a regulated pressure storage receptacle 11 having a conical bottom and discharge line 2 connecting to the top of batch injector receptacle 13 through valve 14 operated by motor 15. The batch injector receptacle 13 is a closed pressure vessel having a conical bottom terminating in discharge line 16 through valve 17 operated Vby motor 18 into injector line 19 leading to an injection nozzle (not shown). The injection nozzle is preferably a graphite tube which may be immersed beneath a molten bath of metal in a ladle or other receptacle.

The storage receptacle 11 and injector receptacle 13 are under regulated pressure from a source of fluid pressure 23 such as a tank of liquid nitrogen. The fluid is carried to the two receptacles by means of line 24 through main valve 24a to high pressure regulator 25, line 26 to flow meter 27, line 28 to T connection 29, then from one side of the T connection through low pressure regulator 30, check Valve 31, hand valve 32 and line 33 to T connection 34 where it is connected to the tanks 11 and 13 by lines 35 and 36 respectively. Fluid pressure from the other side of T connection 29 is delivered to low pressure regulator 37, through hand valve 38, solenoid valve 39, check valve 4t) to injector line 19. Pressure regulators 25, 30 and 37 are connected to pressure gauges 41, 42 and 43, respectively, on control panel 44 carrying the pressure regulators 25, 30 and 37.

The valve motors 15 and 18 and solenoid valve 39 are operated by an electrical circuit clearly outlined in FIGURE 4 and it will not be discussed in detail except in connection with the operation of the apparatus.

The apparatus of this invention is operated as follows: A finely divided additive such as magnesium spheres to be fed to a molten bath of metal is placed in storage receptacle 11 which is then closed. The main fluid pressure valve 24a is opened to place the two receptacles 11 and 13 under controlled pressure. The valve motor 15 is then actuated by switch 45 and timer 46. This opens valve 14 and permits a charge of additive to be delivered to injection receptacle 13. When timer 46 stops, motor 15 closes valve 14. Switch 49 is then actuated to open solenoid valve 39 which opens injector line 19 to the high pressure fluid which fluid flows through the nozzle into molten bath forcing any metal in nozzle out into the bath. Switch 47 is then actuated to start timer 48 which actuates motor 18 and opens valve 17 to injection line 19 discharging the charge into the moving high pressure fluid which carries the char-ge into the molten metal. When timer 48 stops, motor 18 closes valve 17. Switch 49 is then manually closed; however, it is obvious that a separate timer (not shown) could be connected from switch 47 to actuate solenoid 39 at the sarne time as motor 18 is actuated and to de-energize solenoid 39 at the same or later time as motor 18.

FIGURE 5 shows a double arrangement in which the parts bear the same numbers as shown in FIGURES 1 4 with a prime sign added.

I claim:

1. A feeder for delivering solid ne particles to a molten bath comprising a controlled pressure storage receptacle, a pressure batch injection receptacle connected to said storage receptacle and receiving and holding a speciiic preselected measured batch of fine particles from said storage receptacle, rst valve means in said connection between said receptacles, means controlling said rst valve permitting a variable preselected measured amount of fine particles to flow from the pressure storage receptacle to the injector receptacle, second valve means at the outlet of said batch injector, means controlling said second valve means opening the same to discharge the content of the batch injection receptacle, a connection from said second valve means to an injection nozzle adapted to be submerged in a molten metal bath, a pressure uid supply connected to each of said receptacles and to said connection to the injection nozzle, third valve means between said source of uid pressure and said injection nozzle and valve operating means for selectively opening said third valve means prior to the opening of said second valve means and closing said third valve means after the closing of said second valve means.

2. A feeder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pressure fluid supply is a container of pressurized nitrogen.

3. A feeder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the Ipressure fluid supply is a container of pressurized inert gas.

4. A feeder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the valve operating means are electric motors energized through timer circuits.

5. A feeder as claimed in claim 1 having pressure regulating means between the source of pressure nid and each of said receptacles and the injection nozzle.

`6. A feeder for delivering solid line particles to a molten bath comprising a plurality of pressure storage receptacles, a presure batch injection receptacle connected to each said storage receptacle and receiving and holding a specific preselected measured batch of fine particles from said storage receptacle, irst valve means in each said connection between said receptacles, means controlling said rst valve permitting a variable preselected measured amount of tine particles to ilow from the pressure storage receptacle to the injector receptacle, second valve means at the outlet of said batch injector, means controlling said second valve means opening the same to discharge the content of the batch injection receptacle, a connection from said second valve means to an injection nozzle adapted to be submerged in a molten metal bath, a pressure fluid supply connected to each of said receptacles and to said connection to the injection nozzle, third valve means between said source of fluid pressure and said injection nozzle and valve operating means for alternately selectively opening each said third valve mean-s prior to the opening of said second valve means and closing said third valve means after the closing of said second valve means.

7. A feeder for delivering solid line particles to a molten bath comprising a plurality of pressure storage receptacles, an equal number of pressure batch injection receptacles each connected to one of said storage receptacles and receiving and holding a specific preselected measured batch of tine particles from said connected storage receptacle, rst valve means in each said connection between said receptacles, means controlling said rst valve permitting a variable preselected measured amount of ne particles to flow from the pressure storage receptacle to the injector receptacle, second valve means at the outlet of each of said batch injectors, means controlling said second valve means opening the same to discharge the content of the batch injection receptacle, -a connection from said second valve means to an injection nozzle adapted to be submerged in a molten metal bath, a pressure fluid supply connected to each of said receptacles( and to said connection to the injection nozzle, third valve means between said source of iluid pressure and said injection nozzle and valve operating means for selectively alternately opening and closing said third valve means prior to the opening of said second valve means and closing said third valve means `after the closing of said second valve means.

8. A feeder as claimed in claim 7 wherein there are two pressure controlled storage receptacles and batch injectors connected through second valve means to a bifurcated head on the connection to the injection nozzle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 699,405 5/1902 NeWhoUse. 2,499,766 3/ 1950 MACLeod 302-27 2,715,551 8/1955 Kiernan 302-55 2,806,781 9/1'957 Shepherd et al 302-53 X 3,159,432l 12/1964 Ostrowski et al. 302-53 3,230,016 1/1966 Gilbert et al. 302 53 FOREIGN PATENTS 995,051 6/ 1965 Great Britain.

ANDR'ES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. SO2-53 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,479,093 November 18, 1969 Everett W. Hale It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column Z, line 13, "2" should read l2 Signed and sealed this 21st day of April 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR. 

